Hair

Major Haulage

I spent a pretty penny yesterday on hair care products because oddly enough, I ran out of EVERYTHING at the same time! I really didn't mean to spend as much as I did, but I really needed these items. Some are oldies but goodies, and others will be a new experience for me. Anyway, if you want to see what I got, I suggest you grab a cup of coffee and relax while I ramble a bit.

#1. Shampoo & Conditioner

I guess I'll start with the cleansers. I mentioned in my Q & A Volume 6 video that I ran out of my L'Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free cleansers and was in the market for a different brand. Well, I decided to try this sulfate-free cleanser by Silk Elements:

(Retail value: $5.79 ea @ Sally Beauty Supply)

The Silk Elements ColorCare Sulfate-Free Shampoo & Conditoner are both formulated with "UV protector and silk protein to help prolong hair color vibrancy." Since I'm about to highlight my hair again, I'm definitely gonna need the moisture and protein these products provide to strengthen my hair before and after the process.

#2. Deep Conditioner

I've been using ORS' Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner for quite some time now but wanted to try a different moisturizing deep conditioning treatment. This little jar caught my eye, and the sales rep at Sally's highly recommended it:

(Retail value: $5.99 @ Sally Beauty Supply)

Mixed Silk by Silk Elements is a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment that "restores the hair while it hydrates and detangles. Natural curls are left smooth, silky and shiny." Since I've been wrestling with an incredibly dry scalp this summer, a moisture rich product like this is exactly what my hair and scalp needs (although I must say that Aphogee's 2 Min. Reconstructor treatment, which claims to treat dry scalp, and some of my pure coconut oil recently resolved that issue). Anywho, I'll let you know if this turns out to be a keeper or not, but so far I've been liking what the Silk Elements line has to offer and am looking forward to giving this a try.

#3. Moisturizers

(Retail value (left to right): $3.49 (Sally Beauty Supply) and $6.99 (Local beauty supply store))

As you can see, the item on the left ain't nothing new. If I don't do anything to my hair style wise, please believe that the one thing I do religiously is dab a bit of this product on my edges before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning to lock in moisture. It's the only thing I used to treat my bald edges after they fell out postpartum (See Thick Hair, Thin Edges for details), and I must say that it's done a fabulous job of preserving the hair as it grows in.

Now as for the Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer, I originally sampled this as a moisturizer for my braidouts but have found that it works great as a moisturizing leave-in prior to heat styling. After all, it claims to be an "intensely rich thermal protecting treatment," and I must say that a little goes a long way. I just dab a small amount of this in the palm of my hands and work it through the underside and top side of my hair, concentrating on the ends, and comb through. I don't section the hair off when applying this because if I use too much, it will weigh my hair down and make it greasy.

I've said many times before and in my From Curly to Str8: My Hot Tools vid that I truly believe the key to getting silky straight hair that doesn't frizz or revert is to infuse it with moisture prior to straightening. This is the same leave-in I use on my mother and sister's hair prior to straightening (I'll be doing an update on their hair soon, so stay tuned for that), and although their texture is different from mine, it also does a great job of sealing in moisture for a lasting press.

#4. Heat Protectants

Speaking of a lasting press, I would never flat iron my hair without using a good heat protectant, and as many of you already know, my beloved One 'N Only Ceramic Silk has been discontinued, so I've been experimenting with other heat protectants with a similar, creamy texture. The last couple of times I straightened my hair, I used this:

(Retail value (left to right): $5.00 and $5.99 @ Sally Beauty Supply)

On the left we have Beyond The Zone Straight Shot Kill the Kink, which I've found to be a great heat protectant (and a nice curly hair styler too--although it seems like most of the straight hair products double as great curly hair stylers, as strange as that may seem). Although the consistency is a little more serumy than I like, I have to say that my hair does not react to this product like it has with other serums and heat protectants. For one, it definitely doesn't dry out my hair or flake up like some of the other ones that I've tried (Joico's K-Pak Smoothing Balm comes to mind because it left horrible flakes in my sister's hair! That bad boy retails for $18.00 at Ulta, and please believe I returned it after one use.). I do however feel that I'm able to prevent a lot of the dry, frizzy mess a lot of serums cause by using it in conjunction with the Elasta QP moisturizer and the Megasilk Heat protection spray you see in the pic above on the right.

Speaking of which, I've been using the Megasilk Olive Heat Protection Spray for quite some time now and am rather pleased with it. In fact, it's the only spray that I can use on my hair without it leaving a sticky residue (Does the Chi Iron Guard or TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray ring a bell?). I spray some of this on my hair after I've allowed my hair to air dry a bit with the moisturizing leave-in and heat protection cream. I also spritz my hair with it after straightening if I'm going to use a curling iron (See the TBYHC 2011 Edition Wrap Up post for an example.). It leaves my hair soft and silky with a fabulous sheen.

#5. Styling Aids

I'll be taking a trip to North Carolina soon, and am pretty certain, based on past experiences, that my Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 Miracle Worker ain't gonna cut it in the Dirty South! All that humidity is gonna have my curls looking like a big poofy mess, so I've decided to go back to the curl activator gels, which provide a stronger hold.

(Retail value (left to right): $3.29 and $1.69 @ my local beauty supply store)

The product on the left is Just So Curl Activator Gel, which I picked up at my local beauty supply store. I was gonna get my old tried and true, Worlds of Curls curl activating gel, which I once used religiously to get my curls to "pop," but decided against it considering that I can still clearly recall the slimy buildup it would leave on my hair after a few consecutive days. I therefore decided to try this gel, which is similar in that it is a moisturizing formula (it happens to contain aloe vera, which seems to be great for the hair and skin), yet it claims to be a "greaseless," "clear and light" gel with "No stickiness, no build up, and it washes out easily." I'll be using some of this on my next wash day (which is today), and plan to take it with me to NC. I'll definitely let you know how it holds up in the hot, humid south.

The product on the right in the pic above is the Isoplus Pre-conditioning Light Styling Gel that I use to slick my edges down. Now that I have edges to slick down again, I've decided to go back to the one gel that has yet to fail me.

#6. Dye

Last on the hair product list is this lovely dye by Bigen:

(Retail value: $4.99 @ my local beauty supply store)

This is a semi-permanent formula that claims to be "Gentle" and "Oil Rich." It doesn't contain ammonia or peroxide, and is said to be gentle enough to use on relaxed hair. I've heard a lot of great things about this brand, and have been wanting to try it for quite some time now. I mentioned in my last hair update how bored I am with my hair, especially now that a lot of my Santa Fe Bronze highlights have faded. I'll be using this to dye the front of my hair because I wanted to go with something a little less harsh than permanent dye (I believe the scale of intensity goes something like this: rinse-->temporary-->semi-permanent-->permanent). I'll probably dye my hair before the weekend is out, so I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out.

#7: Lashes

Last but not least we have false lashes. I like to keep falsies on hand for when I sport dramatic eye looks. They definitely make the eyes pop, so I picked up the following pairs, which I think will add length without being too dramatic:

(Retail value: $1.99 ea @ my local beauty supply store)

I seem to prefer wispy lashes over clumpy, spider looking ones. They just seem to add a flirty touch without looking overly fake.

Well lovelies, that's it for this beauty haul. Stay tuned for updates on some of these items, as I'll be sharing my experience once I've had a chance to give them a go.

Have a great weekend!

XOXO,

DPrincess28